O'Ferrell's Career Night Leads Eckerd Past Embry-Riddle

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A four-match home stand to end the season started about as well as it could have for the Eckerd volleyball team collectively, and for Abbie O'Ferrell individually.

O'Ferrell posted a career-high 27 kills as the Tritons bounced back from a first-set loss to dominant the next three sets on the way to a 3-1 win over Embry-Riddle in the McArthur Center on Friday.

HOW IT ENDED
Final: Eckerd 3, Embry-Riddle 1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-14)
Records: Eckerd 13-14 (5-12 SSC); Embry-Riddle 18-10 (9-9 SSC)

KEY MOMENTS

• Eckerd and ERAU battled in a back-and-forth first set with six ties, the final coming at 15-15 following a kill by Rachel Wisian. The Eagles, however, won the next three points and led the rest of the way.  A three-point Triton run pulled EC within a point at 22-21 but Embry-Riddle won the next three rallies to secure the opening-set win.
• An early 8-4 ERAU lead in the second set slowly dissipated as the Tritons pulled within a point and shortly thereafter rolled off six straight points for a 16-12 lead.  Powered by the potent attack of O'Ferrell and Paula Hoffmann, Eckerd continued to pull away and tied the match at a set apiece with a 25-19 win.
• Two Hoffmann aces in the first three rallies of the third set gave Eckerd an early lead.  ERAU tied the set at 4-4, but Eckerd reclaimed the lead on a Sarah Johnshoy kill and held it the rest of the way. The Eagles pulled within a point at 12-11 only to see Eckerd win six of the next seven points. The Tritons cruised the rest of the way for a 25-18 win and a 2-1 lead.
• EC won the first two points of set four on kills from Wisian and Johnshoy and led the rest of the way.  A three-point run pushed the Triton lead to 14-8. ERAU later pulled within five points before Eckerd won the last six points of the match to close the victory.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• O'Ferrell was outstanding with a career-high 27 kills, nine digs, and three blocks.  Her 27 kills in four sets are the most for a Triton since 2005 and the most in a match since Jaquayla Baker had 27 against Valdosta State (Ga.) in a five-set match in 2015.
• Wisian had 12 kills, one short of her career-high.
• Hoffmann (10 kills, 12 digs) and Lauren Kadilis (51 assists, 17 digs) both recorded double-doubles.
• The Tritons hit .286 in the match, their highest percentage against a Sunshine State Conference opponent this season.  Eckerd also had 11 aces, its best against an SSC opponent.

UP NEXT
The Tritons host Florida Tech (9-19, 4-13 SSC) on Saturday at 4:00 PM in the McArthur Center.